


Magus

by ifwegettherebysunset



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Darker Atem, Fae & Fairies, Fae Magic, Hurt Atem, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-28 17:23:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13908717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifwegettherebysunset/pseuds/ifwegettherebysunset
Summary: The Unseelie king has been grievously injured by a challenger. His court has no choice but to ask a Seelie for help.





	Magus

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a fantasy writer. I LOVE writing stuff like this! But expect a lot of artistic freedom with fae legends and creatures.
> 
> For Atem's characterization I did a weird blend of s0 and DM so he might be a little off

Reigning in Unseelie is nothing short of fun. Atem has the armies of the Hunt at his heels and thousands of shadows bowing to him wherever he walks. His Puzzle grants him other abilities besides: display a hapless human's duality of soul for their fellows to cower from, summon creatures from his collection in the deepest mounds, and an eternal shield from potential invaders in his psyche. He enjoys traipsing his pyramid's labyrinth to see what flies have been caught in its net.

And, of course, there are the Shadow Games.

Atem's inner circle has treasures like his Puzzle, but none of them can play the king's games. They're mostly duels between shadow monsters, but variety is the spice of life. Atem enjoys nothing more than pairing a game with a challenger, one that symbolizes his opponent's failings. A broken mirror for a vain idiot, crumbling statues for a mindless tyrant. Sometimes the challenger is so one-dimensional that Atem is instantly bored, but his notoriety usually brings amusing competitors.

One opponent comes every year and a day. Atem supposes it's his fault. He has such confidence in his victory that beating him in a ceremonial game has become the path to his throne. Bakura has a reserved seat at this point, this year included. If there are any challengers before him, Atem takes them all on in a battle royale, sneering all the while.

Games with Bakura are interesting. Mostly, anyway. Sometimes he rambles a bit too much on how Atem's father snatched the throne from Bakura's line by soaking the Unseelie Kingdom with the family's blood, then making the Puzzle and its companions from the massacre. Atem knows. Everyone knows. And Bakura should stop expecting sympathy from the howling fae. The fact that he still looks around proves that he is far from fit for an Unseelie throne.

This year's game contains such babbling. Atem, as always, responds with "I'm not my father" and a recount of how he had taken the throne by defeating Aknamkanon in a Shadow Game. His subjects love that one. There are wounds on both sides, since Bakura is counted among the king's few worthy opponents despite his harping. It ends with Atem's victory and Bakura crawling from the consuming shadows through sheer wrathful willpower.

But Bakura is nothing if not clever.

Atem is able to keep himself upright until his chamber doors close. Mahaad catches him.

"Good shot," he mutters, clutching his side.

He looks up to see Mahaad frowning. That doesn't bode well.

Once he's curled on his bed, Atem asks, "What did he do this time?"

"I should examine it more closely," Mahaad says. He already sounds worried.  _Wonderful_.

Stripped of his ceremonial garb, Atem gets a better look himself at Bakura's handiwork. His side is blistered, skin bunching with strange shining warts on charred flesh. It burns with the slightest breeze.

Even when his soul was shattered, Mahaad has never panicked. Since being reshaped into an elf mage by twisting shadows, he is the calmest being in the entire kingdom. Now he stares, wide-eyed, like a foal swept in a storm.

"What is it?" Atem asks, sharper with unfamiliar fear.

Mahaad swallows and schools himself into a bow. "Your Majesty. Bakura has somehow used Seelie magic."

Atem starts. " _What_?"

Mahaad's hand hovers over the warts. They glow brighter. "This is a Starscourge. Ancient magic, the likes of which only few know today. When the Seelie and Unseelie first separated, this curse was one of the Seelie's greatest weapons. Using the light of darkness, the Seelie would reduce intruders to stardust. It is why their constellations shine so brightly."

Atem raises an eyebrow. "Light of darkness? That's confusing even for fae."

Mahaad gestures to the lumps. "What can shine brightest at night? The moon and stars. It's a rough translation."

Atem looks back at the wound. "How long?"

"No royal has been its victim. But with your power and will, you have at least seven days."

"What are the cures?"

Mahaad averts his eyes.

"...no cure has ever been listed, Majesty. We would need an ancient Seelie."

Atem grimaces. The two kingdoms haven't been at war for millennia, but that doesn't mean they particularly like each other. The Seelie king is annoyingly kind just as he finds Atem's terribly violent. If there is anyone Atem would hate to be indebted to, it's him.

"Are you certain?" Atem asks.

Mahaad nods.

If Atem succumbs to the curse that Bakura struck him with during their game, then Bakura will have a right to the throne. Atem despises losing. More than that, he despises Bakura and his careless philosophies on ruling. His rage will only supply the Unseelie's bloodthirst for so long. You need more than that to wear this kingdom's crown.

No. Atem will not die here.

"Bring Isis to me. I need to send a message."

* * *

If there's one thing Atem doesn't like most about the Seelie king, it's how gentle he makes Atem. Yugi has a special aura about him that appeals to both sides of the fae: a forgiving, generous heart  _and_ a fierce, mischievous spirit. Although wary of Atem, Yugi always has a smile for him on the rare occasions they meet face to face. You can't talk to Yugi and not be candid, though that may be his griffin blood.

But Atem is not talking to Yugi. He is writing. As far as Yugi knows, Mahaad has been affected by the Starscourge, cast by Bakura when Mahaad banished him once more from Unseelie's court. Yugi shouldn't be any the wiser.

Atem wrinkles his nose at the guilt simmering in him when he orders the message off. But the Unseelie treat their friends differently.

Yugi replies that same day, sending a Kuriboh instead of a shadow message or a sunbeam. The creature lands at Atem's window and chirps until Mahaad lets it in. Versatile beings, Kuribohs―able to fly freely between Seelie and Unseelie. Yugi's smart to use them as messengers.

Although it utters nothing but  _kuri_ noises, Atem and his circle inherently understand the meaning. Yugi starts by expressing his grief over Atem's plight, not Mahaad's, which generates some amusement. Atem should have known Yugi would see through that.

 _I have no idea where Bakura could have learned that curse_ , the message continues,  _seeing as there is only one Seelie who knows that magic, and he's one of the most honest fae I've ever met. With your permission, I will send him to you. All I ask in return is that he can keep what he extracts._

_I hope to see you recovered when we see each other again. I'm anxious for your reply._

"Do you think Anzu had a hand in articulating?" Shada asks dryly.

"Her mouth is definitely as quick as her feet," Mana replies, smiling. "But did you hear? The king will be cured!"

"Can we be certain?" Karim asks gravely.

Mana waves her hand. "The Seelie King is trustworthy!"

"He is also very trust _ing_ ," Set says, arms crossing, "Too much, sometimes. If that fae truly is the only one who knows the Starscourge magic, he may very well be the one who supplied Bakura with it."

"Yet the king knows his kingdom from every burrow and leaf," Isis says, "If this fae is the only one, then he is the only one."

"And therefore our only viable option for His Majesty's survival," Mahaad says.

They turn to Atem, who in mere hours has been forced to being bed-ridden. He stares at his hands, leaning heavily against the ornately carved headboard. Atem feels the designs poking ridges in his back: victories and Hunts, bordering a throne of dragon talons.

He smirks. "If Bakura did obtain the magic from this fae, that simply means we can make a deal that much easier."

"What of this 'extract'?" Siamun asks.

"Yugi has a right to keep his secrets. The price is a fair one, and I'm willing to make concessions." He nods to Isis. "Send my consent. The visitor has one day to arrive."

* * *

The next morning, Mahaad admits a cloaked figure through a side entrance to the Unseelie king's underground palace. The subjects can't know of their king's condition, after all. They'd start an uprising just for fun.

In the dawn, the Seelie's sleeved cloak appears simple: crimson fabric with a silver dragon head clasp. There are no further embellishments. Among the Unseelie elite, it hardly recommends him.

When the shadows kiss the material, the king's council is staggered. The stars covered by the sun are reflected, humming in constellations of harmony to create a soft, soulful whole. The deep-seated restlessness of the Unseelie realm is soothed for a few startling moments.

Eyes that seem to melt through every shade of blue glow with the woven stars. When asked about the cloak, they simply blink.

The moment the Unseelie King sees him, he knows Bakura received nothing from him. Atem has never met him, but the Seelie radiates constancy.

Still, it's best to be absolutely certain. Atem signals to Shada, and the Seelie is presented with a chalice.

"This contains griffin's blood and dragon ash," Shada says, "Lies will be burned from your tongue and truth will flow in your veins."

The Seelie looks at it. Looks at the king.

"I have some questions I want to ask first," Atem says blithely.

A quiet, steady voice replies, "I thought you'd want to be cured as soon as possible."

"Don't question His Majesty," Set snaps.

Holding a hand up at Set, Atem says, "I'd rather you answer first."

The Seelie nods and drinks. The potion is vile; Atem had to drink it at his coronation. But this one seems to have a king's composure.

Atem makes a show of getting comfortable, as if the Starscourge has no effect on him. "What are you called?"

"Yusei," the Seelie says. He doesn't sound like he drank the potion at all―no hurried speech, no high-pitched surprise. Interesting.

Atem gestures to his wound. "How do you know this magic, Yusei?"

A change in expression, if only slightly. A sad downturn of the eyes, a small frown.

"I was born of the stars."

"Many creatures and legends are. What makes you different?"

"My father was a supernova. The kind that scorched the soil and tore kingdoms apart in his dying flame."

"Like the one that destroyed the original kingdom and split the Seelie and Unseelie," Mahaad says.

Yusei looks at him. "That was my father."

Even Mahaad can't hide his shock.

Yusei looks back at Atem. "My mother is the crimson that flies in dusk and dawn. My sibling-soul, who harbored me from my father's explosion, is made of stardust. The Starscourge and every lunar spell was not taught to me, Your Majesty. I knew it the instant I was born."

Siamun regards the stranger with new eyes. "You are a child of Akakiryu."

Yusei removes his hood, revealing raven hair streaked with burning oranges and yellows. He removes his right glove, showing his bare arm to the chamber. A Crimson Dragon's Sign, the same dragon head on his cloak.

Atem laughs. "The Seelie King willingly sent a rare gem into my realm? Too trusting indeed."

Yusei says nothing, but there's a steel in his eyes that Atem likes.

"Did you give Bakura the secrets of Starscourge?" Atem asks.

"No," Yusei answers without hesitation. "I am the only Seelie who knows the magic, but that doesn't mean an Unseelie hasn't stolen it."

"Someone in my court?" Atem says. "Typical." He smirks at Yusei's furrowing brow. "We are a realm of tricksters and scoundrels, Yusei.  _Your_ king might not expect betrayal, but anything outside my council is a liable challenger. You must have heard of our games."

Yusei stiffens. "I have."

At least some caution, then. Good. "I don't discriminate between classes for my opponents. I enjoy variety."

"And destroying them."

Atem speaks over a few council members' snipping, "Yes."

"And you will keep destroying."

Atem grins. "Yes. But your king has already made the deal, so you must cure me regardless."

Yusei grips his glove. "My king seems to hold a high opinion of you. There must be something about you that is worth saving."

More angry chatter. Atem rolls his eyes and orders all but Mahaad from the room.

"You're just as trusting as your king, I see."

"No," Yusei says, "I'm not. But I have to believe there's some good in this realm."

Atem scoffs. "Then you really are as trusting. But if you didn't give Bakura that magic, who did?"

"The soil that my father burned also birthed creatures. Bound by dead earth but immensely powerful."

For the first time since swallowing the potion, Yusei tries keeping his mouth shut. Naturally it doesn't work, and the rest tumbles out: "One of them is my friend, but he was twisted by the dreaded spirits and absorbed a giant's heart. This giant is tall enough to touch the stars. It's possible he stole the secret. But he is good, Your Majesty!"

Atem glances at Mahaad. "It doesn't sound like he's  _good_."

Yusei twists his glove in both hands, at last slipping into agitation. "As I said, he was twisted. Deceived. A misunderstanding drove him under the cursed earth. It's my fault."

"Why do you Seelie always blame yourselves for others' injustice? It gets annoying. No," Atem adds when Yusei opens his mouth, "Give his name."

Yusei covers his mouth.

Atem isn't impressed. "Mahaad."

Mahaad's staff stomps the floor, sending a surge of magic at Yusei.

Yusei's birthmark darkens the veins around it in wrathful crimson and repels it.

Frustration overcomes Atem's shock. "That which is precious to the child is precious to the mother, hm?"

Yusei, who had spoken the culprit's name against his hand, freely replies, "There is no blame placed on the victims of the Earthbound, Majesty. They are cursed just as much as the other spirits' targets."

"You have pretty words, Yusei," says the Unseelie King, "and a faithful heart. I see the stars in your blood. But if I can't get the name from you, then I'll have to search for him myself."

Yusei squares his shoulders. "You will see his curse, then. Would you like to be cured now?"

Atem smiles. "By all means. My questions are done."

Yusei removes his other glove, stuffing both in his cloak. "The stars are more capricious here, but they're willing to help. You've made a good impression on them."

"Well, I'm capricious too."

Mahaad doesn't move, but Atem can feel his amusement.

Speaking of. "Mahaad, I think I'll be fine on my own."

"Majesty―"

"Leave us."

Mahaad hesitates, but soon it's just Atem and Yusei.

Yusei kneels beside the bed and runs his fingers over the wound. The embedded stars sing at their kin's touch, eliciting a smile. He's quite lovely to look at.

"Do you like games, Yusei?" Atem asks.

The smile vanishes. "Not your kind of games, Majesty."

"Oh, I think even a Seelie could grow to like those. Especially one with so violent a beginning."

Yusei's fingers twitch. The Starscourge flares, as if to punish Atem for upsetting him.

"My beginning left me with the opposite," Yusei says, "I abhor violence and destruction. Take a deep breath."

The Starscourge bubbles as Atem's ribs expand. "How does this work?"

With his ending the questioning, the potion Shada had given Yusei has no effect. Atem wants to see how Yusei lies.

"I extract the stars," Yusei says.

Ah, by omission then. And not very well, either.

"You're awfully earnest," Atem says, "I'd tell you not to come here, but."

Yusei hums, accidentally triggering an answering coo from Atem's wound. "Take another breath, but let it out slowly." He places both hands on the curse. "Slowly...keep going, and don't move. This will hurt."

Atem nearly yells under the flaring pain. The embedded stars are screeching in protest, trying to tangle themselves deeper. Yusei whispers to them in a language not even the king understands, full of sharp crescendos and rumbling syllables. With every word(?) he utters, his pupils draw thinner and his irises pale, until golden dragon eyes are growling at Atem's side.

Sibling- _soul_ , Yusei had said.

The agony drains slowly. Atem clenches every muscle, steadies his breath. Yusei's sibling's voice braids with Yusei's, creating a strange, ever-changing frequency that Atem uses as a distraction.

Yusei says, "You're free," and the room trembles into black.

* * *

Atem wakes to see a guard holding a blade of shadows to Yusei's throat.

"You said you would be alright alone," Mahaad says.

Atem sits up and stretches. "Don't I look alright?"

Relief peeks at the council members' faces. "You are cured, then?" Isis asks.

Atem pokes at his side. The stars did leave a blistered scar, but he can move. "Entirely. Oh, you can take that blade away now."

Yusei glances stiffly around. "Kind of you, Majesty."

"A deal's a deal. You get to keep what you extracted. But."

Yusei's eyes narrow. "But?"

"Well." Atem stands, beckoning the shadows to him. "There was never anything about letting you go."

" _What_?"

"You're a fae, Yusei. You must know wording is important. Yugi obviously thought that I would allow you to leave. Maybe I should teach him a lesson. After all, a creature like you intrigues me."

Yusei's jaw works. "Are you trying to goad me into playing a game with you, Majesty?"

"Perceptive."

"...if I win, I can leave."

"If  _I_ win," Atem says, caressing his shadows, "you stay until I'm done with you."

Yusei ducks his head. "And if I try to escape instead?"

Set laughs. "You wouldn't get far, Seelie."

"A duel would be best," Atem says, "As a child of the stars, you must know of the void."

"I don't wield it," Yusei replies tersely.

Atem smirks. "But you can."

No reply.

"Do you accept?"

Yusei looks at the door. It vanishes in an instant. An illusion, which Yusei likely sees through, but a solid message.

The steel from earlier stares Atem down.

"Yes."

**Author's Note:**

> Yugi is actually a centaur, griffin from the waist down. Since he's not physically in this, I thought I'd share!
> 
> Well, he might be. Idk. I'm so bad at updating stuff, I'm hesitant to add a chapter.


End file.
